Flooding

Whitworth flood forum

Set up under the auspices of the National Flood Forum in 2014 this local group attempts to get the various interested parties in one room to reduce flood risk in Whitworth. So we invite The Environment Agency, Lancashire County Council, Rossendale Borough Council and Whitworth Town councillors to attend alongside householders and local business. The local MP Jake Berry has given us great support for work. Our guiding philosophy is to work with the government agencies and to attempt to achieve improvements by consensus recognising others challenges.

We redoubled our efforts after the Boxing day Flood of Dec 26th 2015 and have achieved successes such as the Environment Agency dredging the Whitworth section of the River Spodden in 2017 and the cleaning out of the drains and culverts below the Crook Hill wind farm over the winter of 2018/19 to significantly reduce the risk of flash flooding in Whitworth as happened in 2015. But the flood risk has not gone away!

We meet twice yearly at 5pm in May and November at Anglo Recycling in Tong Lane Whitworth OL12 8BG. We will often ask in a visiting speaker- such as Kate Morley of Peatland Restoration – to improve our knowledge of long term sustainable flood reduction solutions.

For more information contact the Chairman Simon Macaulay on [email protected] or call 01706-853513 and speak to Simon or our secretary Barbara Dawson.